Tuoba

The Tuoba was a clan of the Xianbei in ancient China. The clan was one of the largest of the western Xianbei clans, ranging from present-day Shanxi province and westward and northwestward. The Tuoba established the state of Dai from 310 to 376 CE and the Northern Wei from 386 to 536; in the latter case, the Tuoba became increasingly Sinicized. From 496 onwards, the Tuoba adopted the surname of "Yuan", and the survivors of the Tuoba would go on to found the Western Xia dynasty in 1038, becoming the "Tangut" people.